Packaging for medical devices is well known in the art. The packages may be made from paperboard, polymer films, foils and various combinations. The packaging for sterile medical devices is particularly critical, since the package must not only protect the medical device from damage during shipping and handling, but must also maintain the sterility of the medical device. Any damage to the package that may compromise its integrity as a sterile barrier may result in an unsterile device being used upon or implanted in a patient. This could result in the transmission of infectious agents to the patient during the medical procedure, potentially resulting in, among other things, infection.
Another characteristic of a package for a medical device is the ability to dispense the product in the sterile field without contaminating the sterile field of the operating room. This can be accomplished in a number of ways including the use of multiple layers of sterile packaging, and unfolding of a sterile package in a manner that isolates the sterile interior and contents from the non-sterile exterior of the package.
There is a constant need in this art for novel packages for medical devices having improved characteristics.